The club, on Ranstead Street in Center City, was known simply as Billy Krechmer's. The idea for the club came to Mr. Krechmer in the mid-1930s, when he was playing with the house band at the Earle ...

Philadelphia in the 1930s and 1940s was a major big band destination ... When asked about his intentions of shuttering the historic club, Billy complained that Philly's convention business was down.